Knife-blade switch



De- 24, .1929- c. c. LEVY ET AL 1,740,547

KNIFE BLADE SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Deo. 17, 1921 Patented Dec. 214, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CYRIL cocHRANE LEVY,

F PITTSBURGH, AND CARL KRAGILOF WILKINSBURG, PENN- SYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COM- IPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA KNIFE-BLADE SWITCH Application filed December 17, 1921. Serial N'o. 523,107.

Our invention relates to knife-blade switches and more especially to the type known as dead front or rear of panel switches which have the switch terminals and contacts mounted on a base in the rear of a panel board and are operated by means of a lever projecting through to the front of the panel board.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a switch for a dead-front panel board which shall consist of a minimum numberof parts and which shall be adapted to be mounted upon a panel as a single compact unit.

It is another object of our invention to provide a simple means for connecting an operating lever to the blades of a standard knifeblade switch, in such manner thatthey may be mounted upon the back of a switch board, and which will permit of operating the blades through an arc of 180 degrees.

It is a further object of this invention to provide, for the purpose of securing a switch base to a panel, a simple form of bracket,r

which shall be durable and of light weight.

In the accompanying drawings constituting part hereof and in which like reference characters designate like parts,

Figure 1 is a View, partially in side elevation and partially in section, of a switch made in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a three-pole switch having a yoke lever arm connection; and

Fig. 4 is a view thereof, in rear elevation.

The switch shown in the Figure 1 consists of a base 1 of suitable insulating material,

such as slate, marble or molded composition, plurality of break jaws 2 mounted'` 3 in whichA having a thereon and having hinge jaws switch blades 4 are pivotally mounted. The switch blades 4 are connected, at their ends, bvan insulating yoke 5 having a guide bracket6 secured thereto by a bolt 6a and provided with an lelongated opening 7 The base member 1 is secured to supporting brackets 8 and 9 which pivotally support an operating lever 10 provided with an insulating handle 11 and a forked end 12having a cross pin 13 which is provided with a sleeve to operate in the slot 7.

The brackets 8 and 9 may be mounted upon a switchboard panel 14 which is provided with an elongated opening 15 to permit movement of the operating lever therein. The end walls of the opening 15 also act as stops for the lever 10 when the switch has been manipulated to its proper position.

In Figx is shown a three-pole switch having a yoke lever 16 pivotally mounted between a pair of supporting brackets 17 and 18 which are similar to the brackets 8 and 9 but assembled in the reverse order. The insulating yoke 5, connecting the knife blades 19, 20 and 21, is provided with a plurality of brackets 22 and 23 having elongated slots (not shown), similar to the guide slots 7 of Fig. 1, to receive pins 24 that are secured in the forked ends of the yoke arms 16, as in the single-arm construction described in Fig. 1.

The yoke-operating lever' functions in the same manner as the straight lever, the double yoke arm providing a more rigid structure for the widely spaced three-pole switch. The supporting brackets A17 and 18, switch base 1a and lever 16 are assembled upon the panel board, as described in connection with Fig. 1. The contact members 2 are provided with terminal screws 25 for' connecting the switch f jaws in the circuit, and for securing them to the base. f

From the above description of our invention it'fwill be readily understood that this type of switch construction provides a simple means for adapting standard knife-blade switches to back-of-panel mounted switches and that the operating-lever connection constitutes a simple and efficient means for manipulating the movable switch elements. The switch,parts may be assembled as a complete unit before mounting upon the switchboard panel. Another advantage in the switch construction isv the simplicity of the parts resulting in a light and durable and relatively inexpensive structure. It will be noted that the brackets 8 and 9 and 17 and 18 are similar but merely reversed in assembly. In other words, this design permits of the use ol a minimum number of parts to construct the various switches.

Although we have described a specific embodiment of our invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modiications may be made in the details of construction without substantial variation of function or result. For instance, the supporting brackets may be of any suitable design and may be replaced by a single bracket for supporting the operating lever. The switch may be either a single-blade or a multiple-pole switch having one or more guide brackets for engaging the operating lever which may be of yoke shape or provided with a plurality of prongs to correspond to the number of guide brackets.

le claim as our invention:

l. The combination with a switch panel, of a base adapted to be secured thereto and having a plurality of stationary and rotatable contact members mounted thereon, a mounting bracket for securing said base to the panel, an operating lever extending through the panel and pivotally supported by the bracket, and a sliding connection between said lever and one of said contact members to impart a rocker movement thereto.

2. The combination with a switch panel, of a base adapted to be secured thereto and having a plurality of stationary contact members mounted thereon, a plurality of hinged bridging members mounted on the said base connected at their ends by an insulating yoke, a mounting bracket for securing said base to the panel, an operating lever extending through the panel and pivotally supported by the bracket, 4and a sliding connection provided between said lever and the .insulating yoke to impart a rotative movement to the said yoke.

3. The combination with a ,switch panel,1of a base `adapted to be secured thereto Aa-nd having a plurality of stationary contact members mounted thereon, -a pluralitylof-hinged bridging members mounted on the said base connected at their ends by an insulating yoke, a Iplurality of mounting brackets for securing said base to the panel, an operating lever extending through the panel and pivotally supported by the brackets, and a connection between said lever and the insulating yoke, to impart a rotative movement to the said yoke. p y

4. The combination with a switch panel., of a base adapted to besecuredthereto and having a plurality 4of stationary 'contact members mounted thereon, a plurality of r`hinged bridging members lmounted lon the said ibase connected at their ends by fan insulating yoke having "a guide 'bracket mounted thereon, a plurality of mounting brackets ifor securing said base to the panel, and an-operating 4lever extending through the panel and pivotally supported by =the mounting brackets, Vthesaid lever having operative engagement with said guide bracket to impart a rotative movement to the hinged bridging member.

5. Thecombination with a switch panel, of a base adapted to be secured thereto and having a plurality of stationary and movable contact members mounted thereon, said movable contact members beiner connected at their ends by an insulating yoke having a guide bracket mounted thereon, a plurality of mounting brackets for securing said base to the panel, and an operating lever extending through vthe panel and pivotally mounted upon the mounting brackets, the said lever being pivotally and slidably connected to said guide bracket in a manner to impart a rotative movement to the movable contact members.

6. The combination with a switch panel, of a base adapted to be secured thereto and having a plurality of stationary and movable contact members mounted thereon, said movable contact members being connected at their ends by an insulating yoke having a plurality of guide brackets mounted thereon, a mounting bracket for securing said base to the panel, and an operating lever extending through the panel and carried by the mounting bracket, the said lever being connected to the said guide brackets in a manner to impart a Aturning movement to the said movable 'contact members.

7. The combination with a switch panel, of a lbase adapted tovbe secured thereto .andhaving a plurality of stationary and movable contact members mounted thereon, the said movable contact :members being connected `at their ends by an insulating yoke having a plurality fof guide brackets mounted thereon, amounting bracket for securing said base to the panel, and a forked operating lever extending through the panel and Asupporting by the mounting bracket, the forks of the lever being connected to said guide brackets in a manner to impart a rotative movement to the movable Contact members.

8. The combination with a switch panel, of a base adapted to be secured thereto and :having a plural-ity of ,stationary and movable contact members mounted thereon, said movable contact members being connected at their ends by an insulating yoke having a guide bracket `provided with an 'elongated slot, means comprising supporting brackets for securing said base tothe panel, an operating lever extending through the panel and pivotally supported upon said brackets, the said lever hav-ing arms extending to poi-nts 'adj acent to the said guide bracket, and a `pinsecured 'in said arms yto foperate `in .the slot .of said guide bracketsto :impart "a'rotativezmovement tothe said contact levers.

9. 'Infcombinatioma paneha ibase, movable and stationary co-operating switch members mounted on the base, -an operating v:member for the movable switch members and bracket members for supporting the operating member being disposed between the panel and the base in one relation when there are two mov# able switch members and disposed in a relation at 180 to the first-named relation when there are more than two switch members.

10. InV combination, a panel, a base, movable and stationary co-operating switch members mounted on the base, an operating member for the movable switch members and bracket members of L-shape for supporting the operating member being disposed between the panel and the base in one relation when there are two movable switch members, and disposed in a relation at 180 to the irstnamed relation when there are more than two movable switch members. y

11. In combination, a panel, a base, 1nov able and stationary co-operating switch members mounted on the base, an operating member for the movable switch members, and bracket members of L-shape for supporting the operating member being disposed between n.' the panel and the base, having their 'legs directed towards one another when there are two movable switch members and directed away from one another when there are more than two movable switch members.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 6th day of December, 1921.

, CYRIL COCHRANE LEVY.

CARL KRAGI-I. 

